Wind driven vehicle



July 2, l940 R. LlNDsTROM 2,206,197

WIND DRIVEN VEHICLE Filed Nov. 27, 1939 www/www0 .15 Another object` is to provide such a vehicle The lower rear portion of the boiler and fire '15 f blades.

`25 `These and other objects and advantages of the in longitudinally slidable butnonrotatable rela-` 25 "35 line 3 5-3 of Fig. 1, asindioated` by the arrows. a vertical pin 2|carrie`d by a bracket 22 secured 35 `40 metal formedto simulatein miniature the var`` shifting lever 201s` provided witha shifting pin `40 5l engine. A tubular member 5 is mounted on the ed on a pin 25 carried by the left-hand side of the 45 `50 ward portion `of the boiler 4 to .represent the wardly against the pressure of the spring I9 will 50 Patented July `2,194()` e V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,206,197 m m m WIND nRlvEN VEHICLE` i m Reuben Lindstrom, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.y Application November 27, 1939, seralNn; 306,229

5 claims. (01.46-217) My invention relates to vehicles and particu` cross head guide 8 having a cross `head 9 running larly to vehicles arranged for propulsionby power therein is mounted rearwardly of the steam cylderived from wind directed thereagainst. inder and the rear end of the piston rod 1 is In wind driven vehicles it is desirable to avoid connected to the cross head 9.` Toward the 5 use of elevated wind responsive devices such as rear endof the boiler structure 4 a horizontally 5 sails, windmills and the like and this is particularly ypositioned shaft I9 is disposed transversely of true in toy vehicles simulating various types of and above the boiler `4and is journalled in suitably full-sized Vehicles for` the reason that it is deapertured bearing brackets I I `mounted on the sired that the toy vehicle resemble as nearly as i upper side` of the boiler 4. A crank wheel VI2 possible the full sized vehicle which it simulates. v carrying an eccentrically located crank pin I3 is 10 An object of myinvention is to provide a wind mounted on the. right-handend of` the shaft I0 driven vehicle capable of eiiicient operation withand a connecting rod I4 is connected at its reoutthe need for elevated wind-responsive devices spective ends `to the crank pin I3 and the cross thereon. head 9.

. wherein wheels provided for certain primary box structure 4 carries an angularlybent plate functions are so constructed as `to also function I5 arranged as `shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to form a as wind actuated impellers. rearwardly projectingplatform. A rod I6 con- Still another Objectis to provide such a vehicle stituting a rear axle for the vehicle is suitably` 20` wherein the spokes of wheels are shaped and carried by the angularly bent plate `I5 `so as to 2o positioned to constitute wind responsive impeller 1 extend transversely of the vehicle and project m outwardly of` the boiler and re boxstructure 4 A further object isto provide such a vehicle at each side of the vehicle. "A pinion I1 is of simple, light and inexpensive construction. mounted on the leit-handportion of the shaft II) invention will more fully appear from `the foltion therewith. A grooved shifting collar I8is` lowing description made in connection withthe carried bythe pinion I1in coaxial relation thereaccompanying drawing, wherein like reference with and in movable relation with the shaft I0; 1 characters refer `to the same parts throughout Afhelical compression spring I9 is placed on they` 30 the views, and, in which: l shaft I0 between the, shifting collar I8 and the 30 Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle incorporating nearest one ,of the bearing brackets II so as to embodiments of 1my invention; m p A `bear at itsrespective ends against the shifting Fig. 2 is atop View; and p `collar I8 and the bearing bracket II. A double Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on the armed shifting lever `2i) is pivotally` mounted on Referring to the drawing a toy simulating a` to the top of fthe boiler and fire box structure ..4 steam traction engine is shown with an embodia moderate distance rearwardly of the shaft II). ment of my inventionincorporated therein. The The rear end of the shifting lever `20 is formed `toy tractor may be constructed chiefly of sheet.` into ahandle 29a and the forward end of the p,

` ious parts of a conventional type of steam trac- 23 projecting into the groove of the grooved p tion `engine.` A horizontally disposed cylindrical` shifting collar I8. Obviously the pinion I1 may structure lIis formed to have the approximate ap-k be shifted longitudinally of theshaft `II) by mal pearance of the boiler and fire box of a traction nipulationof the handle 20a. Agear 24 is mountforward end of the boiler structure 4 in vertically boiler and fire box structure 4. The gear 24 is upstanding relation therewith to have theoapso positioned as to normally be meshed -with the pearance of a smoke stack.` A relatively small pinion I1 when the pinion I1 is in its outwardly cylindrical member Ii is placed on the upper forshifted position. The pinion I1 when shifted incylinder of the steam engine, and arod 1 reprebe removedfrom meshing relation with the gear senting a piston rod is placed in rearwardly pro- 24. `A large gear 26 iS meshed With the gear 24 jecting relation with the rear end ofthe engine. andis `rotatably mounted on the left-hand porcylinder `$5 and is associated therewith for lontion ofthe rear axle I6 and is adapted for atlili` gitudinal sliding movement relative theret0..The tachment to a drive wheel tobevdescribed. 55

and also includes a hub 212: by means of which the wheels 21 are rotatably mounted on the axle i6. Extending radially from the hub 21o to the rim 21d of each of the drive wheels 21 is a series of spokes 28. The spokes 28 are of relatively flat, Wide and thin proportions and, as indicated in Figs. l and 3, are each disposed at an angle to the plane of the wheel 21with which they are associated. The group of spokes 28 on each of thedrive wheels 21 will function as a wind actu- `ated impeller so that wind directed, against the drive wheels 21 will result in a torque being applied to the drivey wheels 21.

A iiywhe'el 2S is mounted on the left-handA end of the shaft lll and includes a Irim 29a and a hub 29h. Radially extending spokes 3B are vprovided for connecting the hub 29h and the rim 29a. The spokes 3B are constructed and arranged in the samernanner as the spokes 28y of thedrive wheels 21 so as to enable the flywheel 29 to function also as a wind actuated impeller for applying torque to the shaft lil, whereby such torque will be transf mitted through the pinion I1, the gear 24 and the gear 26 to the left-hand drive wheel 21. The gear 2S is, of course, connected' with the left-hand drive wheel 21 in non-rotatable relation therewith.

A. downwardly projecting bracket 3l is provided on the lower side of the forward end of the boilertand a front axle 32 is pivotally attached in its medial portion to the bottom end of the bracket 3l for rotative movement of the front axle 32.111 a horizontal plane. Front wheels l33 are rotatably mounted on each end of the front axle 32. Each front wheel 33 includes a rim 33a and a hub 331?. A series of spokes 3d extend" radially from the hub 33h tothe rim 33a of each of the front wheels 33. The spokes 3d are-con structed and arranged in the same general Inanner as the spokes 28 of the drive wheels 21 so that theffront wheels 33 constitute wind actuated irnpellers for operation to assist in moving the tractor over the ground.

Steering means for the front wheels is provided. Included in the steering means is a steerf ing wheel 35 mounted on the rear end of a down wardly and forwardly inclined steering shaft 3S.

' The upper end of the steering shaft 36 is journailed in a bearing element 31 suitably attached to the boiler and i'lre box structured. wardly projecting bracket 31 is attached to the lower sideof `the medial portion of the boiler structure l and carries a bearing element 381 in which the lower portion of the steering shaft 36 is. journalled The lower `end of the steering shaft 36 is provided with a winding drum 39 around which the medialportion of a cable lil is Wound through several turns. The portions of the cablev d extending `away from Mounted on top of the forward portion of thel boiler 4 is a structure 43 simulating afflyballgovernor. The governor 43 includes a vertical shaft actuated means in conventional apparatus.

A. down- From thev pulleys 1l the end 44 journalled in a suitably apertured bracket structure 45 which is mounted on the upper side of the boiler 4. vertically spaced annular elements 46 and '31 are mounted on the shaft 44 as shown in Fig. l, and a series of bent elements 48 simulating the toggle assemblies which support the flyball weights of a regular. ilyball governor are attached at their upper and lower ends to the annular elements it and 41. A series of hemispherical cups 49 aremoun-ted on the medial portions of the respective bent elements 48 to Y simulate the iiyball weights of ayball governor.

The cups 49 all face in a common circumferential direction relative to the shaft 4:4 so that the cups 49 will enable the governor structure 43 to function in the manner of an anemometer type wind turbine. A pulley 50 is mounted on the lower portion of the governor shaft 4M and is connected through an endless belt 5l to a pulley 52 mounted on the engine shaft I@ whereby torque developed `by the wind turbine comprised by the governor to be wind .propelledY and yet avoids the use of any wind actuated propelling device in the nature of a sail or a separate windmill or the like mounted cn the vehicle. The elements of my device whichderive power from the wind for propelling the device are so constructed as to have the appearance approximately of portions of the machine not ordinarily constituting wind thermore, the Awind actuated elements of my device functionnot only such but also have a second function, namely `the function of spokes in the wheels` 2l, 29 and 33 andthe function of lstructure simulating the weights of a flyball governor. It is also to be noted that the wind actuated torque producing structures formed in the iiywheel 2a and the governor device 533 may operate at a considerablyhigher speed than the Wind actuatedv elements ofthe wheels 21 and 33 and thatthe gear reductions provided inv the structure enable the wind actuated flywheel 29 andl governor rstructure to work particularly advantageously in starting the vehicle in motion.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel type of wind. actuated propulsion apparatus for vehicles which may be of particularly simple, light and inexpensive construction. While I have illustrated and described an embodiment of my invention incorporated in a toy traction engine, `it is to be understood that structure embodying my invention may be used with many other types of toy vehicles and also inv full sized vehicles.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, arrangement, details and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a windpropelled, wheel-equipped vehicle,l a'series of generally flat relatively thin and wide elementsconstituting spokes for a wheel of said H deriving mechanical power from wind traveling at an angle `to the plane of `said wheel.

2. In a wind-propelled, wheebequipped vehicle including a ground-engaging traction wheel, a series of generally at elements constituting spokes of said Wheel, each of said elements being sol disposed relative to the remaining portions of said wheel that said series also constitutes an impeller for deriving rotary mechanical power `series constitutes a propeller for deriving power from the wind.

4. In a Wind-propelled, Wheel-equipped vehicle including a ground-engaging wheel and a wheel elevated. above the ground and connected to the ground engaging wheel through speed reduction drive mechanism, a series of flat elements oonstituting spokes for said ground-engaging wheel l and a second series of flat elements constituting spokes for said elevated Wheel, said spoke elements being disposed at such angles to the planes of the corresponding wheels as to form7 in conjunction with remaining portions of the respective wheels, impellers for deriving rotary mechanical power from wind impinging thereupon.

5. In a wind-propelled, wheel-equipped vehicle having a platform at the rear thereof, a relatively rigid apron depending from "said platform in relatively rigid relation therewith and disposed substantially in a vertical plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle so as to present a rearwardly facing surface to be impinged upon by the wind.

REUBEN LINDSTROM. 

